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A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan entitled “Sensors Market in Shale Gas Industry” finds that the market earned revenues of $63 million in 2013 and estimates this to reach $106.8 million in 2020. Currently, wellhead, fracking and separation are some of the key applications for flow, level, pressure and temperature sensors in shale gas production.

“Companies have continuously invested in the broad automation sector and have adopted sensor solutions to improve efficiency and process variable monitoring, as well as reduce maintenance costs and the total cost of ownership,” said V Sankara Narayanan, analyst. “This is expected to drive the demand for sensors and instrumentation in the overall oil and gas industry and ultimately, in the shale gas industry as well.”

Sensors’ role in the shale gas industry is critical. For instance, sensors and instrumentation can be used to address several complexities in hydraulic fracturing, such as fracture orientation, its distance and geometry, and lateral and vertical extent. Microseismic fracture-mapping sensors can enhance the accuracy of fracturing by providing details on seismic imaging, while sensors installed in the well provide data on fracture characterization during drilling. As more fractures open during the process, the sensors installed on the drilling device help to identify new drilling directions.

As shale gas activity is mainly witnessed in the U.S. and Canada, the market for sensors in shale gas is concentrated in North America. Therefore, the expertise of sensor manufacturers from the U.S. shale gas industry can be leveraged to penetrate other regions. Sensor manufacturers could also position themselves as solution vendors rather than sensor component vendors to gain greater shares of the global market.

“Overall, the market for sensors in shale gas will get a boost when the current uncertainty regarding legislation, policy and commercial readiness is resolved,” said Narayanan. “This will allow the oil and gas companies to establish the commercial feasibility of shale gas exploration across the world, and thereby engage in business with sensor manufacturers.”